194 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  7,  1901. 
National  Rose  Society. — The  honorary  secretaries  have  much 
pleasure  in  announcing  that  Her  Majesty  Queen  Alexandra  has 
consented  to  continue  to  be  the  Patroness  of  the  society,  a  post  which 
she  had  for  many  years  held  as  Princess  of  Wales. 
Derbyshire  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Society. — The 
schedule  of  prizes  in  connection  with  the  horticultural  department  of 
the  above  society  has  been  issued.  We  note  that  this  will  be  the 
thirty-ninth  annual  exhibition,  so  that  the  Derbyshire.  Agricultural  and 
Horticultural  Sooiety  has  had  a  long  run  of  activity.  The  show  will  be 
held  at  Derby  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  September  12th  and  13th. 
The  secretary  is  Mr.  Sydney  Burton,  Canal  Office,  Derby. 
Brighton  and  Sussex  Horticultural  Society. — Besides  having 
a  Mutual  Improvement  Association  for  the  reading  of  monthly  papers, 
this  robust  southern  horticultural  society  holds  three  shows  annually  ; 
and  the  schedule  of  these  has  reached  us.  The  spring  show  will  he 
on  April  16th  and  17th;  the  summer  show  on  August  27th  and  28th  ; 
and  the  Chrysanthemum  show  on  November  12th  and  13th.  Particulars 
may  be  had  from  the  secretary,  Mr.  J.  Thorpe,  53,  Ship  Street, 
Brighton. 
Glasgow  International  Exhibition. — The  schedules  for  the 
fruit  and  flower  shows  to  be  held  at  the  Glasgow  International 
Exhibition  have  now  been  issued.  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  August 
28th  and  29th,  will  be  reserved  for  pot  plants  and  cut  flowers,  followed 
on  4th  and  5th  September  by  fruit  and  vegetables.  Many  novel  compe¬ 
titions  are  included  in  the  programme,  and  £1000  is  offered  in  prizes 
and  trophies.  In  connection  with  the  second  show  there  will  be  special 
displays  of  fruit,  to  which  foreign  nations,  states,  and  dependencies  of 
Great  Britain  are  invited  to  contribute.  The  importance  of  such  displays, 
it  is  pointed  out,  cannot  be  overestimated,  as,  in  addition  to  interesting 
the  general  public,  the  fruit  will  be  brought  directly  under  the  notice 
of  very  large  buyers,  with  every  prospect  of  finding  a  profitable  place 
in  a  permanent  market.  Both  shows  are  under  the  joint  management 
of  a  special  committee  of  the  exhibition  and  representatives  of  the 
executive  of  the  Glasgow  and  West  of  Scotland  Horticultural  Society, 
with  ex-Bailie  Simons  as  convener  and  Mr.  Hugh  M.  Mackie,  C.A.? 
secretary. 
Horticultural  Science. — At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Torquay 
Gardeners’  Association,  Mr.  Geo.  Lee  said  that  horticultural  science 
dawned  in  the  Elizabethan  age,  yet  it  never  afforded  any  distinct  light 
to  gardening  till  the  nineteenth  century,  and  the  branch  of  hybridisation 
had  greatly  developed  in  the  last  two  or  three  deoades.  To  gardeners 
it  had  introduced  numbers  of  flowers  and  plants  of  great  beauty  and 
usefulness,  especially  in  connection  with  Begonias  and  Orchids,  and  for 
the  latter  they  were  largely  indebted  to  the  researches  of  Charles 
Darwin.  With  equal  sucoess  had  the  hybridist  dealt  with  Roses, 
Fuchsias,  Chrysanthemums,  Azaleas,  Dahlias,  Daffodils,  Ferns,  and 
other  plants,  and  it  seemed  impossible  to  over-estimate  the  results  his 
future  labours  in  improving  the  flowers,  fruits,  and  foodstuffs.  New 
breeds  of  Wheat  in  America  and  other  Wheat-growing  countries  had  also 
been  raised.  It  had  been  demonstrated  by  experiments  that  new  Wheats 
bred  from  old  and  standard  varieties,  would  increase  the  present  yield 
of  Wheat  in  the  regions  to  whioh  those  particular  Wheats  were  adapted 
by  4  bushels  per  acre.  If  that  could  be  accomplished  in  the  United 
States  alone,  it  would  add  upwards  of  180  million  bushels  a  year,  worth 
at  a  low  valuation  over  £28,000,000. 
Reading  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. — Mr. 
F.  Lever  read  a  paper  on  Begonia  culture  at  the  last  meeting.  The 
president,  Mr.  Leonard  G.  Sutton,  occupied  the  chair.  A  very 
interesting  discussion  followed,  in  which  Messrs.  L.  G.  Sutton,  Hinton, 
Bright,  Wilson,  Fry,  Wicks,  Neve,  Townsend,  Harris,  Macdonald, 
Cretchley,  Pigg,  G.  Smith,  Alexander,  and  Barnes  took  part.  Mr.  F. 
Lever  ;  Mr.  A.  F.  Bailey,  The  Gardens,  Leopold  Lodge  j  Mr.  H.  House, 
The  Gardens,  Oakfield;  Mr.  E.  S.  Pigg,  The  Gardens,  Samoa;  Mr.  F. 
Fry,  The  Gardens,  Greenlands,  Alfriston ;  Mr.  H.  Wilson,  The  Gardens^ 
Lower  Redlands ;  Mr.  W.  Townsend,  The  Gardens,  Sandhurst  Lodge ; 
and  Mr.  F.  Bright,  The  Gardens,  Whiteknights,  staged  exhibits.  The 
former  four  exhibitors  entered  for  the  society’s  certificate  of  cultural 
merit,  and  the  judge’s  awards  were  to  Mr.  F.  Lever  for  his  Odonto- 
glossum,  and  to  Mr.  F.  Bailey  for  his  beautiful  batch  of  Star  Primulas. 
A  warm  discussion  took  place  with  regard  to  the  electing  of  a  lady 
gardener  as  an  “  ordinary  ”  member  of  the  association,  but  being  put 
to  the  vote  90  per  cent,  voted  in  favour  of  the  lady  being  elected  as  an 
ordinary  member. 
“  The  Plant  World.” — Those  two  excellent  popular  botany 
publications,  “The  Asa  Gray  Bulletin”  and  “  The  Plant  World,”  have 
been  amalgamated,  and  will  henceforth  be  published  as  “The  Plant 
World.” 
Bristol  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutual  improvement 
Association. — The  fortnightly  meeting  of  the  society  was  held  at 
St.  John’s  Parish  Room,  Redland,  on  Thursday,  February  28th,  Mr. 
G.  Brook  presiding.  Mr.  McMillan  of  Stoke  Bishop  read  a  paper  on 
the  “  Management  of  Outdoor  Wall  Fruit  Trees,”  it  being  the  essay 
which  secured  the  first  prize  in  a  competition  for  prizes  offered  by 
Mr.  W.  A.  Garaway  to  under  gardeners.  Mr.  McMillan  treated  in 
his  paper  of  the  culture  of  the  Peach,  Nectarine,  Apricot,  Fig,  Plum, 
Cherry,  Pear,  and  Apple,  giving  in  each  case  his  opinion  as  to 
planting,  training,  disbudding,  pruning,  and  the  treatment  of  insect 
pests.  Prizes  offered  for  two  pots  of  Narcissus  were  secured  by 
Mesrs.  Price,  McCullock,  and  Lewis.  Certificates  of  merit  were 
awarded  Messrs.  Frampton  (Primula,  white  ;  Platyclinus  glumacea)  and 
Murrell  (collection  of  Orchid  blooms). 
Knighton  Horticultural  Society. — Since  the  second  meeting  of 
the  general  committee  of  this  society,  whereat  Messrs.  J.  R.  Bache  and 
W.  James  expressed  their  willingness  to  continue  in  offioe  as  joint  hon. 
secretaries,  no  little  anxiety  has  been  apparent  as  the  result  of  a  well- 
founded  rumour  to  the  effect  that  Mr.  Bache  had  declined  to  act,  which 
naturally  impelled  Mr.  James  also  to  consider  the  advisability  of  his  so 
continuing  to  hold  office  alone,  but  at  a  meeting  of  the  committee  hMd 
last  week  we  are  informed  that  these  two  gentlemen  will  continue  their 
work  as  joint  hon.  secretaries  to  this  enterprise,  with  the  assistance  of 
Mr.  H.  Matthews,  solicitor,  who  has  consented  to  act  in  conjunction. 
The  large  attendance  at  the  meeting  showed  the  interest  of  the  towns¬ 
folk  in  the  annual  event,  and  it  is  therefore  satisfactory  to  know  that 
everything  seems  now  likely  to  proceed  successfully. 
Sussex  Weather. — The  total  rainfall  at  Abbots  Leigh,  Haywards 
Heath,  for  the  past  month  was  2-21  inches,  being  1'72  inch  above  the 
average.  The  heaviest  fall  was  0  54  inch  on  the  5th  ;  rain  (or  snow) 
fell  on  thirteen  days.  The  maximum  temperature  was  52°  on  the  28th  ; 
the  minimum  18°  on  the  16th.  Mean  maximum  41‘03°,  mean  minimum 
30’03°  ;  mean  temperature,  whioh  is  2-06°  below  the  average,  and 
the  coldest  February  we  have  had  (since  1895.  Temperature  below 
freezing  point  on  sixteen  days ;  snow  on  six  days. — R.  I. 
February  Weather  at  Belvolr  Castle. — The  wind  was  in  a 
westerly  direction  eighteen  days.  The  total  rainfall  was  1'55  inch, 
which  fell  on  eighteen  days,  and  is  0'26  inch  below  the  average  for 
the  month;  the  greatest  daily  fall  was  0'26  inch  (as  snow)  on  the  5th. 
Barometer  (corrected  and  reduced)  :  highest  reading,  30'626  inches  on 
the  15th  at  9  a.m.  ;  lowest  reading,  29T98  inches  on  the  27th  at  9  A.M. 
Thermometers :  highest  in  the  shade,  51°  on  the  28th ;  lowest  in  the 
shade,  15°  on  the  14th.  Mean  of  daily  maxima,  39’7l°;  mean  of  daily 
minima,  29  82  ;  mean  temperature  of  the  month,  34'76° ;  lowest  on  the 
grass,  13°  on  thel4bh;  highest  in  the  sun,  92°  on  the  15th;  mean 
temperature  of  the  earth  at  3.  feet,'40'03°.  Total  sunshine,  40  hours 
20  minutes,  whioh  is  43  hours  26  minutes  below  the  average  for  the 
month.  There  were  nine  sunless  days. — W.  H.  Divers. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Cblswlck. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
P 
*s 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
1901. 
February 
and 
March. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
1 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
1 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
-A3 
91 
© 
M 
bfi 
s 
-td 
91 
© 
J* 
o 
Sunday  ..24 
Monday.  .25 
Tuesday  26 
Wed’sday  27 
Thursday  28 
Friday  . .  1 
Saturday  2 
W.S.W. 
W.S.W’. 
W.S.W. 
W.S.W. 
W.S.W. 
s.s.w. 
s.s.w. 
deg. 
41 '1 
41- 4 
42- 9 
44-8 
43- 4 
47  6 
447 
deg. 
39*1 
39 '8 
40-1 
437 
417 
46*1 
437 
deg. 
46-3 
49-3 
44*9 
48-7 
61-6 
53  3 
53-6 
deg. 
39-5 
37-5 
39-0 
4i-0 
385 
37  3 
35-6 
ns. 
0-30 
0-16 
0-21 
deg. 
39-3 
39  9 
40  4 
41*1 
41- 4 
421 
42- 0 
deg. 
40-9 
40- 5 
41- 0 
413 
41- 9 
42- 2 
42-5 
deg. 
42-6 
42- 8 
42'8 
43- 0 
43-2 
43  2 
43-3 
deg. 
34-2 
80-6 
29“2 
39-0 
28-2 
26-2 
26-2 
Means  .. 
43-7 
42-0 
49-7 
38  3 
Total 
0-67 
40  9 
41*3 
i. 
43  0 
30-6 
The  weather  has  been  warm  and  springlike,  but  at  times  dull  and 
cold. 
